Lamp



P 20, 1955 J. B. DICKSON 2,718,586

LAMP

Filed Dec. 26, 1950 INVENTOR.

177' TOFIVI/S.

LAMP

John B. Dickson, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 26, 1950, Serial No. 202,783

2 Claims. (Cl. 240-735) My invention relates to lighting fixtures and has particular reference to dome lamps in motor vehicles.

In the past glass lens have been employed on vehicle dome lamps necessitating the use of brackets, nuts and bolts and the like for holding the lens in place. A principal object of my invention is to provide a motor vehicle with an improved dome lamp which uses a minimum number of lens retaining parts and which is simple in construction as well as economical to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dome light which utilizes a flexible plastic lens instead of the conventional glass type.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide an improved device for holding the lens in place on the dome lamp fixture.

The invention deals generally with a lamp fixture including a base member having a recessed portion and a flexible plastic lens disposed over the recessed portion. The lens is provided with ears which are seated in openings in the base member while the base member is provided with a spring which engages the lens and holds the ears in the openings.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of one embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the interior of a motor vehicle illustrating the general location of my improved dome lamp.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the lamp having a portion thereof broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. F Fig. 4 is a rear view of the dome lamp shown in Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a fragmentary view of the rear interior portion of a motor vehicle including a body portion having a rear seat 12 with a rear window 14 disposed thereabove. A dome lamp, generally designated by the numeral 16, is disposed above the window 14 and is secured to the body portion 10 by appropriate structure, not shown.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 to 5, I have shown the dome lamp 16 comprising a base or body member 18 of a generally rectangular configuration having a centrally disposed generally rectangular recess 20. The recess 20 is provided with a floor 22 as Well as relatively short side walls 24 and 26 and relatively long side walls 28 and 30. The walls of the recess 20 are integral with the base member 18, the remaining portion of the base member including a substantially rearwardly flared side portion 32 which surrounds the recess 20. The wall 26 of the recess 20 is provided with an opening 36 which receives the base portion 38 of a bulb socket generally designated by the numeral 40. The base portion 38 of the socket 40 may be welded to the wall 26 of the recess v United States PatentO or in some other conventional manner securedthereto. The inwardly extending end of the base portion 38 of the socket 40 receives a light bulb 42 which extends into the recess 20. The socket 40 is provided with contact prongs 44 which are connected to suitable cable means for furnishing electric current to the light bulb 42. The cable means have not been shown for the purpose of simplicity.

,The dome lamp 16 is also provided with a lens, generally designated by the numeral 46, which is disposed over the recess 20 of the lamp structure. The lens 46 is substantially rectangular in configuration and is provided with a lateral edge portion 48 which has substantially the same configuration as the entrantredge of the recess 20. The walls 28 and 30 are provided with abutments 50 and 52 which are stamped out of the walls 28 and 30 and extend a short distance inwardly toward the center of the recess 20, respectively. The abutments 50 and 52 are disposed in the ,walls 28 and 30 adjacentthe entrant edge of the recess 20 and form a seat against which the innermost portion of the lateral edge 48 of the lens 46 rest, respectively. The abutments 50 and 52 also limit the distance that the lens 46 may move within the recess 20. The lens 46 is provided at its lateral edge 48, which extends completely around the lens, with ears 54 and 56 which extend into openings 58 and 60 disposed in the walls 28 and 30 between the abutments 50 and the abutments 52, respectively. The lens 46 is preferably made of yieldable plastic material having a sufiicient amount of flexibility to allow the entrant edge of the lateral side portion 48 toyield when the lens 46 is applied until the ears 54 and 56 snap into the openings 58 and 60 in the side portions 28 and 30 of the recess portion 20, respectively. Various types of suitable plastic materials may be used in making the lens 46. Such materials commercially known as nylon, polysterene, Lusite, and Plexiglas have been satisfactory.

A flat spring 64 is riveted to the floor 22 of the recess 20 at a location substantially equidistant from the walls 24 and 26. The spring 64 extends transversely of the lamp structure and is provided with oppositely extending legs 66 and 68 which are bent to substantially conform to the contour of the walls 28 and 30, respectively. The free ends of the legs 66 and 68 are bent slightly inwardly to facilitate the entrance of the ears 54 and 56 into the openings 58 and 60, respectively. The aforementioned free ends of the legs 66 and 68 of the spring 64 engage the inner surface of the ears 54 and 56, respectively. The spring 64 is tensioned so that the legs 66 and 68 exert pressure outwardly towards the walls 28 and 30 and act to maintain the ears 54 and 56 within the openings 58 and 60, respectively.

The lamp is so constructed and arranged that the ears 54 and 56 will be snapped into the openings 58 and 60, respectively, due to the action of the spring 64 while at the same time the lateral edge portion 48 of the lens 46 engages the abutments 50 and 52.

Rivets and 96 secure the spring 64 to the inner surface of the floor 22. These rivets may also be utilized to secure a bracket 97 to the outer surface of the floor 22. The bracket 97 may be secured by the rivets as shown in the drawing or it may be secured to any portion of the base member 16. The bracket 97 facilitates the connection of the base member to the vehicle body.

To remove the lens 46, pressure is applied to the lateral edge portion 48 adjacent the ears 54 and 56. The plastic lens 46 allows flexing at these points against the action of the spring 64, the ears 54 and 56 are moved out of the openings 58 and 60 and the lens is removed.

It will be seen from my improved lamp structure that the lamp may be securely connected to and easily removed from the base member 16 without the use of brackets,

nuts and bolts and the like. The action of the spring 64 maintains the ears 54 and 56 Within the openings 58 and 60 at all times.

While 'I have illustrated and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that such is for the purpose of illustration only, and it is contemplated that those skilled in the art may modify certain details without departing from the spirit or scope of the inven-. tion as'defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim;

1. A lighting fixture comprising a base member having a recessed portion provided with side walls, said side walls having openings therein, a bulb socket secured to said recessed portion and adapted to position a bulb within said recessed portion, a lens of flexible plastic material covering said recessed portion having side walls extending into said recessed portion and having integral ears disposed in said openings, and a spring fixed within said recess and having sections engaging the side walls of said lens and urging the same against the side walls of said base member to thereby maintain said ears in said openings.

=2. A lighting fixture comprising a base member having a recessed portion provided with side walls, said side walls having openings therein, a bulb socket secured to said recessed portion and adapted to position a bulb within said recessed portion, a lens of flexible plastic material covering said recessed portion having side walls extending into said recessed portion and having integral ears disposed in said openings, said base member including means forming a seat for said lens, and a flat spring secured to said base member within said recess and having leg portions engaging the side walls of said lens and urging the same against the side Walls'of said base member to thereby maintain said ears in said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 422,592 Holman Mar. 4, 1890 1,509,783 Schnell Sept. 23, 1924 1,610,126 Godley Dec. 7, 1926 1,751,751 Oetjen Mar. 25, 1930 2,116,750 Dashner May 10, 1938 2,254,518 Floraday' Sept. 2, 1941 2,260,894 Field Oct. 28, 1941 

